Trying to get the perfect photo? You are ruining the world for the rest of us |
Trying to get the perfect photo? You are ruining the world for the rest of us
April 9, 2026 — 5:00am
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About six years ago, I was lucky enough to score a trip around Europe along with 20 or so journalists and major TikTok and Instagram players from all over the world for the purpose of writing a travel story.
As we visited each incredible site – the Colosseum, the Acropolis, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Big Ben – the media pack was asked to wait until a particular influencer got his uninterrupted shot. So we would watch as this bloke put his phone on a tripod – facing himself – and jumped in the air. That’s it. He took no notes, asked no questions. The object was not to capture a wonder of the world, but himself in front of it. He was the main attraction.
One of the first lessons I learnt in journalism was that a reporter should not be part of the story – we are observers, not participants. But I came up through the ranks in what........